Will the Bears play tag or not? First day to secure Alshon Jeffery is Tuesday

It's difficult to complain about the wide receiver corps Jay Cutler had last season and make a case for the Bears to plot a future without Alshon Jeffery.

Jeffery's difficulty staying on the field as he dealt with a series of calf, hamstring and groin injuries was a significant part of the passing game issues in 2015. He was held out of seven games, but if the Bears don't bring back the former Pro Bowl performer, they're looking at an unknown in first-round draft pick Kevin White, slot receiver Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, another player with durability issues, and a cast of unknowns.

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In other words, receiver would become a priority again this offseason.

So with general manager Ryan Pace flush with salary-cap room, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Bears don't have Jeffery playing for them in 2016. The former second-round draft pick is coming out of contract and the Bears can place the franchise tag on him beginning Tuesday. The deadline to use the franchise tag is 3 p.m. on March 1.

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The Bears can use the franchise tag to create more time to complete a multiyear extension with Jeffery. Otherwise, absent the tag or an extension, Jeffery will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9 and he would be arguably the most attractive offensive player on the market, considering the underwhelming crop of free-agent wide receivers. It's Jeffery and a wide gap to the next tier.

Pace declined to tip his hand at his end-of-season media session when he called the tag "a tool that we have at our disposal."

"Normally, it's in the best interest of the club and the player to come to a longer-term agreement," Pace said.

Jeffery's agent, Eugene Parker, is well-regarded for negotiating top-of-the-market deals for his clients and surely his goal is to maximize leverage, which means reaching the open market. The franchise tag is projected to be about $14.5 million for wide receivers, making it an expensive proposition for the Bears. If the Bears indeed use the tag on Jeffery, it wouldn't be a surprise if Parker used that $14.5 million as a floor for an annual average salary. So signing Jeffery for a deal more in the range of $12 million per season could be challenging.

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The Falcons' Julio Jones, the Cowboys' Dez Bryant and the Broncos' Demaryius Thomas all signed deals in the range of $70 million for five years in the last year — averaging $14 million per year. The Bengals extended A.J. Green with a four-year, $60 million contract.

When healthy, Jeffery was a huge producer as he caught 54 passes for 807 yards with an average of 14.9. He also did not miss a game in the 2013 and 2014 seasons after missing six games as a rookie in 2012 with a broken hand and arthroscopic knee surgery.

If Jeffery had been healthy all last season, a long-term investment would be a no-brainer. The soft-tissue injuries are reason for concern, but he's still young (turns 26 on Sunday) and the Bears will surely develop a plan to keep his body more balanced this year.

Beyond Jeffery, the targets Cutler has to throw to in 2016 all carry risks. The leg injury that cost White his entire rookie season makes it impossible for the Bears to know how he will produce. Royal was signed to be a slot receiver and wasn't very productive on the outside. Wilson, who will be entering the final year of his contract, is best cast as a No. 4.

It's time for the Bears to take care of one of their own, and they aren't in position to let highly productive players in their prime leave. The last draft picks to be resigned to multiyear contracts by the Bears both came from the 2008 class: running back Matt Forte, who got a four-year contract when his rookie deal expired, and tight end Kellen Davis, who re-upped for two years in 2012. That means the Bears went three drafts (2009 through 2011) without extending the contract of any draft selection for multiple years. Defensive tackle Henry Melton, a fourth-round pick in 2009, was re-signed for one season on the franchise tag in 2013.

The Bears project to have $55 million in salary-cap room before any moves, so that's not an issue. If Jeffery gets to the open market, there could be a serious bidding war as 18 teams project to have more than $25 million in cap space. That makes tagging Jeffery and then working toward a longer-term agreement the most logical path.